


On Teacher Crushes...

by ghostbutt



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Teacher AU, but not a lot of it, mild shade towards sasuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 05:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16549670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostbutt/pseuds/ghostbutt
Summary: Kakashi, an exhausted high school teacher has trouble wrangling his class. Thank god principal Tsunade knows just who she's going to have him call: Their old teacher, Iruka.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMERS:  
> I put a whole bunch of characters in this fic, not because they need to be but because I LIKE THEM. There's a whole subplot about a dog. Yeah I keep my priorities straight. As straight as this fanfic. Some parts of the plot aren't neccessary to the story, but they are necessary to my heart being happy, so they're in there. Also Kakashi is slightly ooc for some of this, so if that's your pet peeve consider yourself warned.
> 
> Oh and I have no idea how the american education system works. I just am a Dumbass Like That.  
> Comments are ALWAYS appreciated <3

# Chapter 1

There was a dog in his student’s backpack. Of course there was a dog in his student’s backpack, why would there not be a dog in his student’s backpack? Kakashi could get the kid in real trouble for this, if it weren’t for him hiding Pakkun under the teacher’s desk. Now he couldn’t even call him out, because first of all the hypocrisy and second of all the paperwork. And work, that was something he had more than enough of. Sure, he loved his job and teaching was as important as it was challenging, but in recent times that felt a lot more like something he said to keep himself from jumping out the window than something he meant. À propos window… 

“Shikamaru, could you please stop looking at clouds and start looking at the board?” 

The boy didn’t even bother to apologize. He started taking notes, but Kakashi had a feeling his attention was of a very fleeting nature. He’d lost Kiba to the contents of his backpack lessons ago and at this point he was more likely to ask him for a dog treat than for his attention. He’d caught Ino with a curling iron yesterday. Sakura was nonstop drooling over Sasuke and Sasuke was nonstop drooling over the newest Hot Topic collection and how special he was because of how much his family sucked. He didn’t even want to know what Shino was doing with those bugs. But worst of all was his most challenged student, Naruto Uzumaki. Sure, the boy had motivation, but no amount of motivation could make up for how completely lost he was, all the time. Still, Kakashi was determined to keep his class at an acceptable average and that included the supreme intellectual right in front of him, right now occupied with picking his nose and flicking the boogers at Sasuke. 

“Naruto, can you please tell me what we discussed last lesson?”

It seemed like Kakashi had caught him off-guard with that question. It seemed like Kakashi caught him off-guard by every question. 

“OK Sensei, I know this! One minute, it’s going to come back to me!”

“I’ll wait.” 

And wait he did. A full five minutes of Naruto leafing through a stack of loose notes and sighing profusely until he finally looked him blank in the eye and said, with full conviction:

“Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”

“Naruto. This is math class.”

-

Ah, the many luxuries of the joint teacher’s lounge of Konoha Middle School and Hashirama Senju High. Whether it be the single, rickety coffee machine or the probably definitely thrice recycled couch, the place could not be beat. Ironically, Kakashi still preferred it to his flat, though mostly because at least the teacher’s lounge wasn’t cold and devoid of anything but exams to grade and mild existential dread. Instead, the lounge offered a familiar shittiness that Kakashi and his colleagues had come to love. 

His usual group was already sitting at their table when Kakashi arrived for lunch break. Gai threw both his hands up for an enthusiastic, though somewhat displaced high-five and even Kurenai and Asuma waved a hand at him in greeting. 

“Kakashi, we were just talking. The annual teacher’s ranking is coming up in barely a month. We should make a bet on who will win in which category!” Gai proposed. 

Kakashi shrugged. “But we already know who’s going to win in which category. Tsunade will win Biggest Nightmare, because she is, and Kurenai and Asuma will win cutest couple. Hottest teacher… hm, I’m not sure.“

Gai’s eyes began to sparkle at his words. “Well, then whoever wins the ranking will be declared BEST TEACHER OF KONOHA! If I lose I’ll climb to the top of the flagpole with my hands tied together!” 

Ah yes. He was still on that. Ever since they’d met at uni, Gai had been extremely competitive about the most irrelevant things. And Kakashi loved it, secretly.

“Sure, Gai. If you’re prepared to lose to my unrivaled charm?” 

“Well it’s tougher for you to get a reputation for being handsome, though. With that thing over your face… “ Kurenai motioned to his mouth guard. 

Kakashi subconsciously tugged at the thin mask covering his mouth. He’d been wearing it since he was a child, mostly because he felt weird about his face and that one mole, but people had just gotten used to it. He’d gotten used to it. Too used, one might say, because “The mask stays on. If I need to be hot I’ll be hot with a mask on.” 

A lopsided grin showed on Kurenai’s face. “But that’s not your area of expertise either, is it?”

Asuma nodded knowingly. “He’s probably not even going to get a single girl. I’ve known you for ages and I’ve never seen you with anyone!”

“Ah, but it’s not that urgent.” Kakashi replied. He’d thought about that himself, once or twice. Not in the context of being voted hottest couple by the staff, he didn’t actually care for that. More in the context of… social convention?  
Love and attraction really weren’t his field of expertise. He didn’t have the time and energy for it, not with his students gnawing at his nerves and Principal Tsunade ordering her entire personnel around like the manic hobby-torturer she was. In all honesty, everything he knew about dating he knew from these god-awful smut novels he’d picked up out of boredom ages ago and never put down. 

“This isn’t about relationships,” he reminded them after brief contemplation, “but about popularity. It’s even battlegrounds.”

“I suppose so,” Kurenai picked back up “but if you ever need some relationship advice you better believe we’re now the number one authority.” 

Kakashi chuckled. It would take the end of the world before he would need advice from anyone, relationship-wise or not. 

“Oh before I forget,” she added, “Shizune told us to send you by the principal’s office. It sounds serious.”

-

“This is absolutely dismal, Kakashi!”

Kurenai had been more than right in her assumption that it would be serious. Principal Tsunade was fuming when he arrived in her office, papers in hand and hovering over her desk. It was about his new class, he was sure. Nothing else if not they could possibly be described as absolutely dismal.

“The results of the test are just not getting better. I told you to beat them into shape but maybe you’re just out of your depth.”

“What if I were?” he replied, maybe a hint more sardonic than appropriate “Would you give me an assistant? As if we had the resources for that. I can handle them on my own.”

“No, you cannot.” 

“Excuse me?”

Kakashi was used to the principal being blunt, but not to her assigning him help. Sure, his classes were usually filled with the academic worst-of, but he was a good teacher. He’d gotten through life on working too much and sleeping too little alone until now, so what was different this time? 

“You need to find a way to reach these students. Their old teacher did. Iruka Umino. You need to get in touch with him or it’s just going to get worse. Just arrange for a meeting and by god, ask for some help, finally. Here’s his number.”

He didn’t need help. But there was no use refusing the small, yellow sticky note Tsunade slid him. And who knew, maybe he didn’t have to brute force his way through this school year. Would that really be so bad?


	2. Chapter 2

It took Kakashi two full days of lessons before he called the number. The phone rung several times, enough for him to almost reconsider and just quit on the spot, but after a few more rings an exasperated voice finally picked up on the other end.

“Iruka Umino, hello, who is this?”

“Hi. It’s Kakashi. Hatake. Tsunade told me to call you?”

“Ah, Naruto’s teacher. Yes I’ve heard of you. You have a tough job, keeping these kids in line, I’d be glad to help.”

He hadn’t expected for him to get down to business that fast but he could appreciate the efficiency. 

“So do we met up?”

“Sounds great. This saturday at noon at Ichiraku’s?” 

“I’ve never been. Is he any good?”

“The best!”

“Then it’s a date!” He said. And then he hung up. 

He said date. He should never say that word again. In any context. He’d lost his date privileges. Sad, but that was just life. That must have been so awkward for all people involved (All two of them). But something about that guy’s voice on the phone was just… an incentive to call it a date? He’d sounded like the single father of a horde of complete disaster children, but (and Kakashi wasn’t sure he was allowed such uncouth thoughts about his treasured colleagues) in a hot way. Except even if he did, what was Kakashi doing? He’d never been on a date. He just had to hope that the dude would have forgotten about the indelicate word choice on saturday. Time enough.

Speaking about disaster children, he still had to grade Naruto’s essay on acids and alkalis. He expected that he would be in for a real treat this time, but instead of a treatise about sour gummy worms, lo and behold, the boy had actually written an acceptable paper. Whoever helped him with that must have nerves of steel, he thought. 

When he was done with the papers he decided to get a cup of tea. He picked out his favourite blank white mug from his collection of blank white mugs and set up the kettle. While it was boiling he reorganized the single shelf of Makeout Paradise novels, occasionally leafing through his favourite issues. For reasons unbeknownst to him, he was feeling real romantic all of a sudden, so he decided to sit down with one of the classics and make this a relaxed afternoon.


	3. An Interlude in: Makeout Paradise - The Ninja's Katana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no explanation or excuse for this except that I felt like this fic would benefit from it. Also, this is where the chapter numbers get interesting.

His hands, though usually weighty and firm with his feverish tenacity now settled tenderly on her ample hips. Her cheeks were tinted with the heat of their encounter and her lips parted in welcoming promise. Yet, her eyes showed a sadness much deeper than her lust. This would be their last time before he had to head off to war and she did not know if he was to ever return. 

“Do not cry, my firebird,” he whispered, gently wiping a tear from her eye and replacing it with a gentle kiss, “love me instead, like we always do, and make this last memory of ours a treasure worth keeping forever.” 

“Am I not worth keeping forever?” she sighed, sadness weighing at her every word, drawing her inwards to him in a last embrace. 

“My starling, my sun, my dahlia. Fate has other plans for my body, but my soul will always be with yours.” 

At his words all opposition flowed from her and she clung to him, like a lone swimmer’s feeble attempt at staying above water, when all she wanted to do was drown in his love, his kisses, his pleasure.  
He had no intention to keep her waiting, not this time. To her gentle sighs he responded with tender kisses, trailing from her forehead down to her mouth, where he found her lips already open slightly in anticipation. Their mouths crashed together in a desperate fervor and as she lost herself in him, so did she lose the sadness. There was only now, only this one moment. She wound her hands around his body, losing all space between them, their bodies fitting together perfectly. 

His eyes found hers through the kiss, endless oceans meeting lush meadows behind feathery lashes, shrouded in a veil of lust. She broke free from the kiss and placed kisses all the way down his neck. He could feel her hot, wet breath on his collarbone. He would smash the pillars of this earth to come back to her. He would cross oceans, wander the desert and run along endless streets, but all paths on this earth, for him they would always lead to her.

“I adore you.”


	4. Chapter 3

The first thing Kakashi noticed was the smell, a homely, delicious scent that reminded him of his mother’s cooking. The second thing he noticed was the interior decorating, a softly lit tacky wonderland that looked like someone who had only seen a japanese restaurant in food animes had been left in charge of the decor. The third thing he noticed was a man, sitting at a table all by himself. He was scribbling something on a napkin and his head was resting on his hand. Because he sat facing the kitchen, Kakashi couldn’t see his face, but his hair was up in a messy ponytail that instantly made him feel sympathetic. He knew the struggle with a permanent bedhead far too well. Nobody else was in the restaurant and he’d seen Iruka a few times from far across the teacher’s lounge and that looked suspiciously like him, so he approached the table and tried to smoothly slide into the booth. Emphasis on tried. Thank god Iruka didn’t notice him almost stumbling when he saw his face. To Kakashi’s defence, he knew Iruka had sounded cute on the phone but he hadn’t expected for him to be _that_ cute. At Kakashi’s flailing attempt to maneuver his ass on the bench Iruka’s head perked up and he quickly stuffed whatever he was writing into his pocket. 

“Mr. Hatake. I’m glad to see you!”

“Kakashi, please. Mr. Hatake was my father.” 

“Fine, then you’ll have to call me Iruka.” Kakashi might have been wrong, but he thought he saw a small blush creep on Iruka’s face. “I was wondering when you were coming. Wouldn’t want to be stood up on our first date.” 

Oh no. No no no. Jiraiyah never wrote about what to say in _this_ kind of situation. Well, he dug the ditch, might as well lie in it now. “Oh, but I’d never!” He exclaimed in played shock. 

Iruka laughed. “Good. Because I really want these kids to succeed. They might not be my students anymore, officially, but I still want them to do well. I just hope I’m not stepping on your toes… Kakashi.” 

“No way. I appreciate the input!” He smiled. Not bad for a first exchange. Maybe he wasn’t just going to get some tips out of this but also a new friend or…

-

The food was honestly the best he’d ever had. It was just the right ratio of distinguished to simple and presentation to taste, but somehow Kakashi found himself concentrating less and less on the dish in front of him and more and more on the person in front of him. He’d stopped taking notes halfway through the conversation, but it definitely wasn’t out of boredom. It was, first of all, because they’d stopped talking about his students a long, long while ago and secondly because Kakashi knew he was going to remember every word Iruka said. He was just _that_ good at explaining. And the way he sounded so earnest and convinced about everything he said, the way he charged everything he said with such a sincerity… Kakashi didn’t know what it was but he wanted to trust Iruka and, in turn, he wanted Iruka to know him. 

“It’s lots of work,” Kakashi said, “but I’ve just always been good at teaching. I always knew I was going to end up here but because I’m good at it, I get assigned more and more work because Tsunade knows I can do it. And I can do it, it’s just… “

“...hard.” Iruka finished. “I know. But just because you can do it, that doesn’t mean you have to. You have the right to take a few days off. Make some time for yourself or you won’t be able to to anything for others.” 

“Hm… no, not yet. I don’t need it. I’ve been functional for years, I’m going to keep this going.”

“Sure you’re functional. But are you happy?” 

He didn’t know how to reply to that. When he reached deep down inside himself to fish for a feeling, nothing bit the hook. He wasn’t sad, but had he been happy? Maybe accomplished was the word, accomplished that he had such a great track record as a teacher or that his life had been running without any major hiccups since he started working. But he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been really happy. But he couldn’t tell Iruka that. A part of him wanted to. Iruka’s question had opened up a deep well of aching sadness inside him that must have been there for a while, unnoticed, and now he wanted him to fix it back up, naturally. But Kakashi couldn’t tell him that. Kakashi was functional.

“Obviously. I’m happy right now!” 

As soon as he said it, Kakashi realized it was true. Maybe he hadn’t been happy in the past, but right now, this very second, in the company of this very man, he felt more glad than he’d been since forever. 

Iruka’s face reddened ever so slightly. “Well, then I’m happy too. Just take care of yourself.” 

“You know I do.”

Iruka laughed, but this time it was tinged with… exhaustion, maybe? “I know you don’t, Kakashi.”

-

They talked for a while longer and after they finished eating, Kakashi ordered a round of drinks that he gallantly paid for, but none of them felt like getting particularly buzzed that night. Instead, they stayed seated in their booth and talked about anything and everything until closing hours. But, as it does when one is enjoying themselves, the time to leave came far too fast. 

When they said goodbye, Kakashi tried to opt for a casual handshake, but Iruka completely ignored his outstretched hand and went in for a hug, which Kakashi was extremely ok with. He was big and warm and genuinely nice to hug, Kakashi thought. Also he smelled like ramen, but in a good way. Then again, anything he did, he did in a good way. Still he didn’t ask for another meeting. It didn’t feel right. It felt too good to be true. Sure, you missed 100% of the shots you didn’t take, but he’d rather miss than smash a window. And he didn’t know why, but he had the feeling that there were lots of smashable windows on this route.


	5. Chapter 4

“Kiba, this is Pakkun. I’m sure Akamaru would enjoy hanging out with him on the playground this lesson, instead of hiding in your backpack, huh?”

Kiba looked mildly embarrassed, when Kakashi called him out, but eventually he nodded and let his puppy out the bag, only for him to instantly run off with Kakashi’s dog. After Iruka had told him about Kiba’s attachment to his dog, whom he’d found by the side of the road when he was just a child, and the dog’s attachment to the boy, the teachers had worked out an idea to keep the two together without interfering with his student’s education. They’d done similarly for the other students. He sat Ino and Sakura down together, as far away from Sasuke as possible, so straight-laced Sakura could keep the curling iron out of Ino’s hands and Ino could drive out Sakura’s misplaced affections (he hoped). Iruka had given him the tip to make Shikamaru’s exercises harder, not easier and somehow this had worked wonders for the boy’s participation. Similarly with all the other students. And now it was Naruto’s turn to be helped. 

“Hey, Naruto. How would you like for me to give you some extra exercises to do at home with your dad and if you do them well I’ll give you these coupons for a free portion of ramen?” 

The boy looked interested. He was always very energetic, but right now he looked very attentive, almost like he was contemplating something very important.

“You met with Iruka, didn’t you?” 

This surprised Kakashi. “How do you know?”

“Um… uh… “ he stuttered, a lopsided grin on his face. This was a lot more like the usual Naruto. “He always gives me these coupons when I do well. Or he invites me.” 

That felt a lot like a half-truth, but it was good enough for Kakashi. After all, why did he care. As long as Naruto had an incentive to catch up with the rest of the class in his studies it was fine. 

-

“Kakashi!” Gai exclaimed. He was sitting at their usual table but Kurenai and Asuma had already left for the day. Instead, the feared and revered secretary and right hand of Tsunade, Shizune blessed them with her presence.

“Morning Gai. Shizune.” Kakashi greeted them, sitting down. 

“Kakashi. I was waiting for you. Tsunade told me to tell you that first of all whatever you did with those kids is great, keep doing that, and second of all she takes full credit for sliding you Iruka’s number.” 

“That’s all you were here to do?”

“That and a coffee. But I’m all out of coffee.” and with that she left. 

Gai eyed him conspiratory. “So Iruka… is he why you’ve been so upbeat these past days?”

“Oh, was I? I hadn’t noticed.” 

A part of Kakashi wondered if Shizune liked starting fires. 

“Please, Kakashi, don’t take me for a fool! It’s important to keep up with your rival, especially if your rival seems like he…” Gai leaned over to Kakashi’s ear, but continued in the exact same volume. “... has a workroom crush.”

A part of Kakashi wondered whether Gai liked fanning the flames. 

“He’s a colleague whose work I respect deeply. Our relationship is purely business and since my work-related inquiries are cleared we won’t need another meeting.”

Was he telling that to Gai or himself?

“Maybe you do, Kakashi. He did you good.”

-

He had done him good, hadn’t he? For a small second there was a spark of light in Kakashi’s life and now he was gone again. He knew the darkness like the back of his hand but he’d had a taste of the color and he wanted that feeling back. He wanted that brightness, that closeness, the connection that came without having to touch. He wanted to be with him. He didn’t know what to label that deep, deep longing for something more than his constant grey. None of his books had prepared him for this. Nothing could have possibly prepared him for this feeling. 

He opened the cupboard and for the first time he noticed how loveless his cupboard was. He used to think of it as efficient, functional and simple but it was just… empty. Well, not empty in the traditional sense of the word. There were still cups in there. He thought about Iruka, his soft and warm smile and his deep love for everything and everyone. Iruka probably had an entire cupboard of #1 teacher mugs, he thought to himself. 

Kakashi felt so unlike himself right now, but as much as he tried to reach for the aloof, relaxed and mildly cynical demeanor that usually came so easily to him, he couldn’t find it. He was on edge, lost in his thoughts, out of focus. There was no more comfort in his routine, because the best part of his life to this point would never - could never be a part of it. But what use was there in dreaming over spilled milk. If he let enough time pass, maybe his emotions would leave him be, eventually. 

He set up the kettle and made himself tea. He leafed through his books, but none of them seemed right right now, though he had no idea why. He ended up just staring out of the window at the street that ran by his apartment. He imagined being down there, right now, window shopping with Iruka. He wondered if he liked that sort of thing, then he chased the thought out of his mind. He wouldn’t enjoy it, probably. Not with him, at least. After all, he was just a work acquaintance he’d helped out. Once. 

“Just take care of yourself.” - he’d said that to Kakashi. Completely unprompted. You don’t say that to a coworker, right? Or maybe Kakashi just never said it to coworkers. Maybe Iruka just was that caring of a person. 

But what if he wasn’t? What if he felt the same way Kakashi felt right now, except he probably knew how to deal with it a lot better, because he was just so good at… emotions. In general. 

There was only one way to find out, he decided. 

He dialed the number on the yellow sticky note.


	6. An Interlude with Iruka

What a mess Tsunade had gotten Iruka into now. He was sure she’d meant it well, giving him a chance to reconnect with his old class (kind of) and it wasn’t her fault he caught feelings like Udon caught colds (frequently and heavily), but it had happened and now Iruka was at a loss. Especially when Kakashi had made no indication that he wanted to meet again. He wasn’t going to pester him, of course, the poor man was busy enough without his needy self leaving him desperate messages. And, in addition to that, he had kids of his own to keep in line. On the topic of kids… 

“Stop running in the halls! I can hear you up there!” he called upstairs. 

“Sorry Iruka!” a voice called back. 

That child was almost as much a mess as he was, the only difference being that Iruka was only a mess right now and his kid was a mess all the time. It was normal, though, having lost his parents at such a young age. He had only moved in a few years ago and Iruka knew he wasn’t going to call him “Dad”, but they were like father and son in every way but the one. 

“Hey Iruka!” the voice called down the stairs “Are you going to call Kakashi back?” 

And there it was again. But if even he was bugging him about calling Kakashi it must be worth a shot. 

“I’m about to, so please be quiet for a second, okay Naruto?” 

He picked up the number Tsunade had given him in case Kakashi didn’t call him first and dialed it in, but just before he could hit “call”, the phone rang. 

“Iruka Umino, how can I help?” He asked, trying not to let the urgency in his voice show through. 

“Hi. It’s Kakashi. I’m wondering whether you have time for another meeting? I really liked that ramen we had recently.” 

“It’s a date!”


	7. Chapter 5

Kakashi hadn’t been nervous since middle school, so much so that he’d almost forgotten what it felt like. Almost. Because this right now, this was nervous. As he adjusted the collar of his shirt for the fifth time he wondered whether this was really a shot he wanted to take right now. But it was. It was and he knew it. He pushed open the glass door of Ichiraku’s ramen shop and walked inside. 

Iruka was already sitting in their booth, though, this time, he was facing the door. He looked like usual which meant to say he looked perfect. When he saw Kakashi enter, he seemed to tense and relax at the same time, but maybe it was just his imagination. This time, he didn’t stumble when he dropped down on the bench opposite Iruka. 

“Hi.” Kakashi greeted, almost quietly, but this was no occasion for big words. Though he wished Iruka would say something… 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat. “Hello, Kakashi. You look… well. Have you been taking some time off?” 

“No, I’ve just learned to spend what time I have better.” 

“Like with me?” Iruka asked, jokingly, but Kakashi picked up on the subtle blush that came to his cheeks. 

“Like with you.” he affirmed. It took him a ridiculous amount of guts to say it, but say it he did. There was no backing down now. He almost nonchalantly moved his hand on the table, in Iruka’s direction, but nothing happened. Maybe he’d misinterpreted his signs? Maybe that hadn’t been a sign at all. Maybe he really did feel nothing for Kakashi. He sighed, internally, knowing that he was never going to know if he didn’t get his act together and pursue what he wanted. After all, nothing ever meant anything to him. Except this time, it meant everything. 

“Kakashi I… “ Iruka started, grasping for words “I was wondering whether there was someone in your life to… help you relax.” 

Kakashi’s heart almost skipped a beat. This was getting ridiculous but he had no power nor incentive to stop it. 

“No. I don’t have a girlfriend. Or boyfriend, for that matter. But I think I’d quite like one. How about you?” 

He had to know. He had to know something - anything if only concrete. For hell’s sake, why was Iruka not giving him a definitive sign?

“I think with the right guy…” Iruka hinted. Hinted. Again. 

“And what type of guy would that be?” 

Kakashi leaned in closer and, in response, so did Iruka. Kakashi could almost feel his warmth on his skin and he pictured Iruka finally closing that last gap, pulling him in and… 

“Well the right guy would have to be dedicated. He would have to be committed to what he did and he would obviously have to like children. “ 

At those words Iruka finally took Kakashi’s hand. He felt a jolt as their fingers touched, like the final piece of a circuit had finally fallen into place. 

“He’d have to be independent. Oh, and I must say I have developed a liking for grey, messy hair, but that might just be a one-time thing.” 

Kakashi swallowed heavily. “Now what am I supposed to do with that information?”

“Kiss me, for one.” 

It wasn’t anything he thought about. Kakashi pulled down his mask and pulled Iruka towards him. He saw anticipation and desire glisten in his eyes and in that moment he knew that he’d wanted this just as much as Kakashi did. 

Iruka’s lips were the softest thing he’d ever felt. He almost felt obliged to be gentle, as he leaned over the table into him, steadying his hands on his back so as not to fall over. His mouth was so warm, so welcoming, beckoning him to stay like this, in this moment forever. This was what he wanted. He was what he wanted. Iruka, only Iruka. 

When they separated, Iruka’s cheeks were flushed deep red. Suddenly, Kakashi became painfully aware of how naked he felt with his mask down. What if Iruka saw him, his entire face and didn’t like what he saw. What if he thought he was ugly, what if… 

He motioned to pull up his mask again, but just as his fingers had wrapped around the rim, Iruka grasped them with his own. 

“Don’t. I mean - unless you want to - but Kakashi…” he took a deep breath. “... you’re beautiful. And even if you weren’t, I fell in love with all of you. All of _this_.” 

He laid down his free hand on Kakashi’s chest, right over his heart and as Kakashi slowly processed that feeling of Iruka’s hand on his hand, on his body, he realized what he’d just said.

“Damn. I didn't realize. I wish I knew what to say but -”

And then he realized: He did know. He realized he knew exactly what to say. He took Iruka’s hand from his mask and held it in both hands, looking into his eyes with as much sincerity as he could muster.

“I love you too. I love that you care so much about everything… about me of all people… I love that you’ve made me feel happy for the first time since forever. I love you.” 

They just sat, for a while, holding each other’s hands, each one too afraid to break up this precious moment, like this was all just a dream that could break apart at any second. Until finally Kakashi Hatake found and reclaimed his calm. He had Iruka now. He had him and he was going to keep him. 

“Want to get out of here? I’m no Ichiraku but I can make a mean cup ramen if you want to move this conversation someplace more quiet.”

If he’d thought that Iruka was red before he was mistaken. Cheeks red like cherries he leaned in to Kakashi and whispered: “But don’t expect me to put out on the first date.”

Kakashi laughed. He hadn’t heard himself laugh in so long. “Are you kidding? I was lucky to even hold your hand.”

As they quietly sneaked out of her booth, Iruka swayed over to Iruka and whispered: “Though, technically, this is our second date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning to have them drop the "L"-bomb that quickly (I didn't intend for that to happen at all) but it felt right and baby, that's just art.


	8. Chapter 6

“So does this mean you’ll climb to the top of the flagpole or not?” Kakashi inquired. Him and Gai had just checked the results of the teacher’s ranking and somehow, they’d both won. Though not quite in the expected category. 

“Best Bowl cut has to be a win!” Gai declared. “If they made a category especially for my supreme fashion sense!” 

Kakashi smiled to himself under his mask. He still left it on, just for comfort, but he kept it off when he was alone with Iruka. Pulling it down every time he wanted to sneak a kiss just turned out to be too much of a hassle. 

“Hey, Kurenai! Asuma!” he exclaimed “How does it feel to be first ALTERNATE for cutest couple?”

“Eat a dick, Kakashi.” Asuma retorted between two draws on his cigarette. “We know you only won because Iruka is such a sweetheart.”

“And what about it?” 

-

They’d been together for quite some time now and it hadn’t taken a long time (only about a week and a parent-teacher conference) until Kakashi finally figured out that Naruto was living with Iruka. Which, in retrospect, explained why his homework and essays were always so immaculate. It made no difference, however, except that Kakashi now felt like he had bragging rights to dating the hottest dad at school. 

He’d learned to take some days off and what he didn’t learn, Iruka gently forced upon him. Weekend trips, small holidays or even just an afternoon of snuggling on the couch and reading together, and although Iruka never understood the appeal of Makeout Paradise he did understand the appeal of being nestled at his boyfriend’s side and laying his head on his chest while they both found some relaxation in this mess of a world. And Kakashi was well and truly happy.


End file.
